20 Questions
by WeaverofDreams45
Summary: Hermione is fed up with Ron Weasley, and when she runs crying from the common room after yet another fight, she finds comfort in the arms of someone she never expected.


"No you cannot copy my charms homework Ronald. Do it yourself. Or maybe have your girlfriend do it for you if you can separate from each other long enough to create a thought." Hermione's curls swung as she swiftly turned away from Ron, who was now grumbling under his breath about how bitchy she was being. She couldn't even pretend not to be hurt by his behavior anymore, ever since he had started seeing Lavender, it was the same. He only remembered she existed when it was convenient for him. For a while it had stung, but she soon realized that he wasn't worth her tears or her time. When he did finally come up for air from this fit of idiocy, she would be ready to be his friend again, but nothing more.

Normally when she and Ron had a row, she was left alone. The younger years knew better than to cross her when she was upset, and Harry was normally so preoccupied with trying to find evidence Draco Malfoy was a death eater to even notice that she was upset. No…she rather liked being alone. She hadn't even noticed where she'd gone until she was suddenly staring up at the statue of the one-eyed witch. "Bugger." She cursed aloud. _Why did I end up here?_ She thought to herself, sighing as she resigned herself to her long trek back to the common room, not that she particularly wanted to return.

"Up to no good are we 'Mione?" A familiar voice called out, and she was shocked when red hair flashed behind her.

"Fred?!" She asked, trying to figure out what on earth he was doing at Hogwarts. "What are you doing here? Also don't call me 'Mione, you know I hate it when you do that."

The light reflected off of her prefect badge, and the glint caught his crooked smile. There was something about the way he smiled that always made a pleasant heat pool in her cheeks.

"I'm George." He teased, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him. She was much too observant not to know the small differences between the twins, like how Fred had a small scar on his chin from a Quidditch accident the year before. Realizing that she would not be so easily fooled, he continued.

"Well to answer your question, I'm here on business. Strictly business, so there's no way you can possibly distract m…" His voice cut off, and she wasn't sure why until his hand reached up to touch her cheek. The wetness of her tears was nearly dry now, but the evidence of her crying was still present in the redness of her eyes and the streaks that bled from them down to her cheek. "Why are you crying?" The joking tone he normally used was noticeably absent from his voice, and she tried her best not to nuzzle into his hand the way her brain kept telling her to do. Stepping back from the desire to close the space between them, she wiped at her cheeks with her sleeves.

"Oh you know, just being a silly girl."

"In all the years I've known you 'Mione, you've never once just been a silly girl." For some reason, the kindness in his voice broke her down again. Finding stability in the stone wall behind her, she sank down until she was clutching her knees tightly. The sting of her tears broke through again, and she found a headache starting to form from the force of her crying.

"Tell me what's wrong. I promise not to hex whoever is making you cry…well not too bad at least." He added, sinking down to sit next to her. She could count on one hand how many people had seen her cry since her emotional display her first year, and now Fred Weasley just had to be on that list.

Maybe it was because she was just so tired of how alone she felt, or maybe it really was her just being a silly girl, but she found herself pouring her heart out to Fred in that moment. She told him about Ron dating Lavender, how he only talked to her now if he needed help with homework, how Harry was too busy being the savior of the world to spend time with her. How maybe if she was more traditionally feminine, or prettier, or less swotty, she would be the one men fell all over themselves to be with. For his part Fred listened; he didn't interrupt, didn't patronize her or invalidate her emotions. At some point, he had put his arm around her shoulder and had begun massaging his thumb into her back.

"I'd tell you he's a bloody git, but you probably know that better than most." Her laughter was small, and still riddled with the sniffles that came from crying the way she did. She became suddenly aware of his proximity when he brushed a stray curl out of her eyes. His breath was hot against her skin, and she could feel gooseflesh forming as her body responded to him being so close.

"Thank you for listening Fred. I know that there are much bigger problems in the world than me and my pitiful love life."

"Not quite as pitiful as mine 'Mione." She didn't even have the energy to chide him for using the stupid nickname again, so she just shrugged and looked at him. His blue eyes were so similar and yet so different from Ron's. While Ron's eyes were more an ocean blue, Fred's were much brighter, like the summer sky on a cloudless day. It took energy for her to break away from her stare, which caused her already red cheeks to burn even more.

"So I suppose you and Angelina aren't getting together anytime soon? I remember the talk after the ball fourth year." Fred just laughed at her, and she was surprised by the boisterous chuckle her observation had earned.

"Why are you laughing at me Frederick Weasley?" She chastised, swatting at his arm with her hand. He pretended to be injured by her attempt, and it took a lot of effort to not smile at his mischievous grin.

"George is the one who fancies Angelina. I just went to the ball with her because I couldn't ask the witch I wanted." Her jaw hung open as she regarded the boy. Never in all the years she'd known him, had she ever heard him actively talk about fancying someone.

"So there is someone you fancy?" Her voice had an edge to it as she asked the question, which surprised herself. Why was she feeling so hostile? Shouldn't she be excited that Fred liked someone?

"Yeah there is." He responded, and she found she couldn't look away from his eyes once they locked onto hers.

"Well then…tell me about her." Hermione continued, and she could feel her mouth going dry as she did. Merlin she wasn't…no she couldn't be jealous. Could she?

"Its…a little embarrassing to be honest." Fred began, and he did something that Hermione had never seen him do before. The boy was blushing! Shoving her shoulder into his side playfully, she gave him a look like she expected him to go on. "Alright well she's younger than me."

"Still at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah…still at Hogwarts."

"Oh then I must know her! Is she in our house?"

"Now come on, where's the fun if I just give it away?"

"Alright then, a girl who's still at Hogwarts." Hermione mused, the gears turning in her head as she ran through the possibilities. "Well there's Katie, who I must say doesn't seem your type…or rather you don't seem hers considering she's been dating Alicia for almost a year now. Let's see, what does she look like? Blonde? Brunette? Can't be a redhead unless you've suddenly taken a shining to your sister or Susan Bones." She laughed at the grimace that broke out across Fred's face as he responded to her suggesting Ginny.

"Alright so is she blonde or brunette?"

"Brunette." He responded, his blue eyes locking onto hers. Her face didn't even have any deeper shades of red to turn, and she found herself unable to look away. "Brilliant brown eyes too. Like melted pools of chocolate. Smart witch as well, and handy with a wand." He winked at her, and she had to clear her throat to break the silence that followed that note.

"Alright well, that narrows it down. Oh I wish you'd just tell me. I could help you romance her. You know I may be a swotty, ugly, know-it-all, but I'm also a hopeless romantic." His expression changed suddenly from nervousness to anger.

"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that." He nearly growled, and Hermione was taken aback by the tone of his voice.

"I'm not saying anything that's untrue. Just as much as I am a romantic, I'm also a realist. There's a reason boys fancy girls like Lavender and Ginny, and…well not me." There was something in his eyes, something that she couldn't identify, and she found herself scrambling to her feet. The warmth of where his arm had been around her now felt cold, and she separated herself from him. "Its..curfew has probably started. I should…I should get back."

"You know, for the brightest witch of your age, you are rather thick sometimes." Fred chided, bringing his long, thin fingers up to run through his hair. It was growing longer now that he had graduated, and she found her breath catching as she watched him do it.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." She insisted, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart. It was so loud, she could hear it, and she prayed to Circe that he couldn't.

"Alright lets play a game 'Mione. 20 questions I think the muggles call it." His mischievous grin was back, and there was a hunger behind his eyes that she had seen many a time before; notably before he and George had something big planned. "I'll answer 20 questions about my witch, and we'll see if you can figure out who it is. I won't answer any questions about house though. They can only be yes or no questions though."

"Okay…alright then. Is it a girl?"

"Very funny…that counts as a question though."

"This girl, is she older than me?"

"No."

"Younger than me?"

"No. 17 questions left."

"So she's in my grade." Hermione began making a mental list of all the girls in her grade. It at least cut out Luna, who was a long shot anyway.

"I said she was your age, I didn't say she was in your grade. Can't have too quick a game now can we?"

"Not fair! That wasn't a question!"

"Sounded like one to me. 16 left."

"Oh fine…Does she play Quidditch?"

"No." Okay so that cut out several of the Ravenclaws and at least one Hufflepuff. Only 14 girls left.

"Urm…does she…have a familiar?"

"Yes."

She cursed herself at her question. Of course she had a familiar, every bloody student in the castle had a familiar. He stipulated that he wouldn't answer questions based on house, but she was desperate to eliminate the five girls from Slytherin. It would half her list. Just then, she thought of a way around that problem, and smiled smugly at him.

"Would your mother approve of this witch?"

"Clever…" He commented, obviously having realized the she had figured out a way around his condition. "Yes. I'm pretty sure mum would be thrilled. 12 questions now."

So with the Slytherins knocked out, there were only seven possibilities left. Parvati, two girls from Hufflepuff, and four girls from Ravenclaw.

"Is she…smart?" It was a useless question, but Hermione had panicked.

"Yes."

"Does she have any siblings?"

"No." Hermione cursed under her breath as she realized she didn't even know if the Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws had any siblings, but at least Parvati and Padma were out.

"Oh this is bloody stupid. I'm not sure I want to play anymore." She whined, finding it increasingly more difficult to narrow down her list. All the girls left on it were not in her house, after all.

"Come on 'Mione. It isn't like you to give up. Come on, 10 more questions." His childish goading shouldn't have worked, but she just gave a resigned sigh and continued.

"Is she…was she in the DA?" That question could at least disqualify one of the hufflepuffs.

"Yes."

"Was she given detention by Umbridge last year?" Many of the girls on her list had managed to get out of serving their detentions. Hermione had obviously been too outspoken against Umbridge to escape notice.

"Yes."

"Was she in the courtyard for your fireworks display?"

"Yes."

"Alright so was she…oh is she a pureblood?"

"No."

"Is she a half-blood?"

"No. 5 more questions."

Hermione frowned as her carefully crafted list vanished. There was no one left who was a muggleborn.

"That's impossible…there's no one left on my list who's a muggleborn." There were only a handful of muggleborns in the school anyway; even fewer girls.

"Once again. You are incredibly thick for being the smartest witch I've ever met. Use that big brain of yours 'Mione." He took a step closer to her, and her mind was reeling. She had to have missed someone. _Brunette, brown eyes, my age, muggle-born…oh. Oh!_ She thought, gasping when she realized his meaning.

"You can't mean…" He cut her off when he moved another step closer to her.

"Uh uh uh. You have to finish the game." His chest was almost touching hers at this point, and there was nothing she could do to hide the blush that burnt her cheeks or the way her heart was beating out of her chest.

"Is she…" She had to pause to lick her lips, finding that they had gone dry. "Is she nearby?"

"Yes, very close. 4 questions." Another step forward.

"Is she friends with Harry Potter?"

"Yes. 3 questions."

"Is she your friend?"

"Yes…2 questions." They were touching now, and it took considerable effort to focus on anything besides his lips.

"Is she a powerful witch?"

"Most definitely. Bloody brilliant she is. Its time for your last question."

"Is she me?" He didn't answer her question, instead bringing his soft lips to hers. There was something so right about the way they fit together, as he snaked his hands into her wild curls. He tasted like chocolate and something citrusy…it was hard for her to place, and in that moment, it was the farthest thing from her mind. When they finally broke apart, it was out of necessity for air, and they panted as they remained clutched onto each other.

"Remind me to thank Ron for being an idiot." He joked, and she could feel herself laugh. Everything about him smelled so good, and she couldn't help but breath him in.

"All this time." She chided, pulling away slightly to get a better look at him. "You've fancied me all this time and you didn't think to tell me?!" There was no heat behind her yelling, but Fred laughed at her attempt nonetheless.

"To be fair, I thought you were in love with Ron. I wasn't going to be a git and hit on my little brother's girlfriend."

"Is that why you didn't ask me to the ball? Because you assumed Ron would ask me?"

"Yeah…imagine my surprise when you showed up on the arm of Viktor Krum looking like a dream. I still think about the blue dress you wore. I've never seen you so confident. It was the first time I really saw you as more than just Ron's friend." She rested her forehead on his shoulder and sighed.

"Two years. You've been fancying me for two years." Her laughter was bubbly and satisfied, and he drank it in. His red hair was sticking out in all directions as a result of her fingers running through it, and she brought her hand up to try and straighten it out.

"Leave it love." He prompted, catching her hand and intertwining their fingers. "I want it looking all mussed when he sees it."

"When who sees it?" She asked, surprised when he began to guide her away from the statue where he had entered.

"Oh dear old Ron. Told you I had some business to take care of, and I seem to have found the perfect test subject of my burp bundles. Lets see if the git will be able to snog his girlfriend with unstoppable gas."

Normally Hermione would've chastised him for testing experimental products on students, but part of her was desperate for anything to stop Ron and Lavender's non-stop snogging.

"Well we better be off, don't you think." Stepping up on her tip toes, she placed a longing kiss on his lips, beginning their walk to Gryffindor tower. His hair was even more messy now, and she thought he was right. Ron's face when he realized what they'd been up to would be absolutely priceless.


End file.
